When Rev. Rita Famos became involved in the youth programmes of her local congregation in Bern, Switzerland, back in the early 1980s, a lifelong commitment to the Reformed Church and the ecumenical movement started to evolve.
As members of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee and stewards visited the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, they came away newly inspired about the next generation of the ecumenical movement.
Rev. Matthew Ross, who served as WCC programme executive for Diakonia and Capacity Building from 2018-2023, reflects on how the document “Called to Transformation – Ecumenical Diakonia,” which he edited, is being received in ways that affirm the importance of diaconal service and mission.
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke during a brief interview after his opening sermon on 21 June at the World Council of Churches central committee meeting.
World Council of Churches (WCC) president for Eastern Orthodox Churches Metropolitan Vasilios of Ammochostos has three-quarters of his diocese on the island of Cyprus under Turkish occupation, but no Christians are still living in the occupied part.
“We carry the cross with dignity and hope.” These were the opening words as Middle East Christians stood to bear witness at the World Council of Churches central committee meeting, to the burdens and challenges – but also the resilience – that they live on a daily basis in the land where Christianity was born.
By far the largest region, both in terms of population and geographical size, the Asia region faces an array of pertinent issues for the churches to address and engage in. Stretching from Iran in the west to Japan in the east and from Nepal in the north to New Zealand in the south, the region encompasses a wide range of cultures and religions.
Hope and commitment were central in the report that the Africa region presented to the WCC central committee on 26 June. As is customary during these meetings, central committee members, advisors, stewards, and staff from each region met for prayer and sharing and to identify issues affecting the life and witness of the churches in their region.
At any big World Council of Churches (WCC) meeting, stewards work like the oil in a machine, helpings gathering such as the central committee to function seamlessly, but it is also a learning experience for the young ecumenical workers.
Rev. Terri Hord Owens, the general minister and president of the Christian Church, the Disciples of Christ (USA and Canada), says the World Council of Churches (WCC) must offer an environment where people can talk on all issues, even if it is uncomfortable or "messy" to do so.
As the World Council of Churches (WCC) celebrated its 75 anniversary, the voices of young people rang out with hope, joy—and some pointed messages for their ecumenical family.
At a WCC central committee meeting, members spend hours in plenary dealing with dozens of reports, developing documents, deliberating, discussing, and sometimes differing from each other. But there are also moments during breaks and on their way through the foyer where they enter another part of the life of the WCC.
“Hospitality is one of our main values,” said president of the Protestant Church in Switzerland Rev. Rita Famos as she welcomed members of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee to a reception at the Ecumenical Centre on 23 June.
These words described the dreams of the kind of woman a young woman aspires to be, illustrated by moving images of women’s involvement in the history of the ecumenical movement. This performance poem was just part of an inspiring meeting of the women of the ecumenical movement that were present at the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee meeting on 22 June.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee meeting brings great joy, its moderator said, as its 148 members met at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva to discuss the governance of one of the planet's most diverse fellowship of churches.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee opened on 21 June with common prayer that recalled the 75th anniversary of the founding of the WCC in 1948 and remembered those active in the ecumenical movement who have died over the past year.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee will convene at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, 21 – 27 June. Media accreditation is mandatory for access to open sessions, press conferences, briefings, and seminars – onsite, as well as online.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, in partnership with the Portuguese Council of Churches, hosted a seminar in Lisbon, Portugal, on 5-9 June entitled “Making the last FIRST,” relating this theme to decolonization.
Burundi recently witnessed a significant event aimed at fostering inclusivity and addressing the impact of climate change on persons with disabilities. During the National Dialogue on Disability-Inclusive Climate Change Policies and Programs last week, the Friends Church in Burundi embarked on a mission to support and uplift women and girls with disabilities in Nyabihanga, Gitega Province.